Sunday Oct 13 2024 Lesson fornication
"THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS"
Fornicators And Adulterers God Will Judge Hebrews 13:4
INTRODUCTION
In today's society, the honor and sanctity of marriage is under constant attack...
Divorce is acceptable, made easy through "no-fault" laws
Adultery is considered normal, faithfulness to one's spouse as unrealistic
Among religious and political leaders, many say that standards against sexual immorality are antiquated
Even in the church, sexual immorality is a major problem evidenced by...
The high number of divorces among Christians
The frequent reports of sexual failings among preachers, elders, and other Christians
This is not to say there are not those who still hold marriage in high esteem...
Many people still believe sex is for marriage , and marriage is for life
I've been blessed to have been:protected by GOD .
In truth, our culture today is not that much different from the society of the first century...
Where divorce and remarriage was rampant (women were known to date events by their husbands; e.g., "Yes, that happened during husband #5.")
Fornication was acceptable, adultery barely frowned upon
But Christianity offers a true contrast of standards regarding morality...
Through clear and unequivocal teaching - 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-5
The same sort of teaching is needed today, which is why we need to carefully heed the text of today's lesson:
"Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge." Hebrews 13:4
The verb "is" is not in the Greek, leading some to translate the first phrase as:
"Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled;" (NASV)
"Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure" (NIV),
[Why should we honor marriage, and keep the "marriage bed" (a euphemism for marital relations) pure? Because God will judge those who violate it! To see how, let's first define the terms used in the last half of this verse...]
DEFINITION OF TERMS
"FORNICATORS"...
The Greek word is pornos {por'-nos}, from which we get "pornography"
It is a general word for unlawful and immoral sexual relationships (Barclay)
It includes any kind sex outside of marriage: pre-marital, extra-marital (adultery), homosexual, etc.
"ADULTERERS"...
The Greek word is moichos {moy-khos'}
It means to have unlawful intercourse with another's wife or husband (Thayer)
This may be while they are still married...
Or even AFTER they are divorced if not for the right reason - cf. Matthew 5:32; Matthew 19:9
So a person can be guilty of adultery either:
By having relations with another's spouse
By marrying someone who either:
Did not put their first spouse away for fornication
Or was put away by their spouse for ANY reason
"GOD"...
The Supreme Being, eternal and holy - Revelation 4:8
Omniscient and Omnipresent - Psalm 139:1-12
Loving, yet just - cf. John 3:16; Hebrews 10:30-31; Hebrews 12:29
"WILL JUDGE"...
The Greek word is krino {kree'-no}
"the act of condemning and decreeing (or inflicting) penalty on one" (Thayer)
[Marriage should be held in honor, because the Bible makes it clear that God will condemn and somehow inflict penalty on those who are fornicators and adulterers who do not repent!
But why will God judge fornicators and adulterers?]WHY GOD WILL JUDGE FORNICATORS AND ADULTERERSBECAUSE THEY DESTROY THE LIVES OF OTHERS...
They destroy marriages
Either their own, by their infidelity (trust is often destroyed)
Or others, by committing adultery with another's spouse
Sexual immorality is a major cause of divorce, which God hates - Malachi 2:16
They destroy families
Where divorce occurs, families are shattered
The children usually suffer the most, often with severe emotional problems throughout their lives
Jesus warned about despising the needs of children - Matthew 18:5-7, Matthew 10-11,14
They destroy friendships
Read carefully Proverbs 6:30-35
It is difficult, if not impossible, to restore good friendships after one has violated another's spouse
BECAUSE THEY DESTROY THEIR OWN LIVES...
Read carefully Proverbs 5:1-14
You lose your honor (your reputation is destroyed)
You lose your wealth (ever hear of alimony?)
You lose your health (via STDs, perhaps even AIDS)
Adultery and fornication is indeed a sin against your own body - . 1 Corinthians 6:18
There is emotional damage (wracking guilt)
There is social damage (ostracized by others)
There is physical damage (venereal disease)
BECAUSE THOSE WHO ARE CHRISTIANS ARE ESPECIALLY GUILTY...
Made in the image of God
Redeemed by the blood of Jesus
Made a temple of the Holy Spirit ...they have allowed their lusts to bring them as low as animals!
[When God's HIGHEST CREATION, because of purely selfish reasons, destroys marriages, families, friendship, even their own selves, we can understand why God WILL JUDGE such, and why Paul wrote what he did to the Corinthians:
"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
But HOW will God judge fornicators and adulterers?]HOW GOD WILL JUDGE FORNICATORS AND ADULTERERSHE WILL JUDGE IN THE FUTURE...
They will not inherit the kingdom of God - 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Ephesians 5:5-7
They will suffer eternal torment - Revelation 21:8
BUT HE ALSO JUDGES IN THE PRESENT...
They become God's enemies - James 4:4
While this passage likely speaks of spiritual adultery, it would apply to literal adultery as well
Adulterers are estranged of God's fellowship, care and love
True peace and joy cannot be theirs
They receive in their own bodies what they rightfully deserve - Romans 1:24-27
Those who engage in such immorality do indeed "receive in themselves the penalty of their error" (e.g., syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, AIDS)
But such is only a FORETASTE of the torment fornicators and adulterers will receive, if they do not repent!
CONCLUSION
There are many good reasons to honor marriage and keep the "marriage bed" undefiled...
The bond between a man and a woman whose relationship is built upon trust and love
The joy, peace, and love that children in a strong family enjoy, and deserve
The value of strong families in shaping our communities in which we live
But we have focused on God's judgment on those who destroy this important fabric of our society, and how it gives new meaning to the phrase "be sure your sin will find you out" Numbers 32:23
It is almost impossible to keep immorality secret
Physical infirmities will more than likely bring it to the surface eventually
Or loose lips will!
Even if one succeeds in hiding their immorality in this life, not so in the life to come!
To close on a more positive note, let's offer some hope for those who have been guilty of adultery and fornication...
You may not be able to escape the physical consequences of your actions
But you can be forgiven, and escape the eternal consequences!
As we consider once again what Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, a city known for it loose morals...
"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
We now notice the next verse...
"And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:11
The gospel of Christ promises wonderful blessings to all sinners who will come to Jesus in faith and obedience!
Have you been "washed", "sanctified", and "justified" in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God? Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Titus 3:5
Extra scriptures below
Mat 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Mat 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Jhn 8:41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
Act 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Act 15:29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
Act 21:25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
1Co 5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
1Co 6:13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
1Co 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
1Co 7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
1Co 10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
2Co 12:21 And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
Col_3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
1Th_4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
Jud_1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Rev_2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
Rev_2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Rev 2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
Rev 9:21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Rev 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Rev 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Rev 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Rev 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.